My Dear Friend Lou Reed, by Mick Rock

I shed many tears today. My dear dear friend Lou Reed died. It's hard for me to contemplate. I feel devastated. He had a tough uncompromising public image. He certainly did not suffer fools gladly. But if he was your friend, he was one of the sweetest people you could ever know. He was a man capable of deep empathy. I experienced it myself on many occasions. I've been hospitalized a couple of times with serious afflictions and the first flowers on each occasion came from Lou. He was a beautiful man in all senses of the word.

As we all know he was a deeply committed artist. His influence on modern music and culture has been profound. I feel deeply privileged that his last public comments and in fact his last public appearances were to promote our beautiful new book, Transformer (what else could it be called; he transformed so many lives). He was a true gladiator. Although suffering and in obvious pain, he insisted on coming to London with me in early September to spread the word. He was a man imbued with steely willpower. When he made a decision, his focus was not to be denied. I loved him for over 40 years. There are tears even as I write. And there will be more in the coming days. It's very painful to realize that we shall never meet again in this world. The angels will adore him. For them it's a Perfect Day. For me it's one of the saddest days of my life. Mick Rock
New York City, October 27, 2013